Hodgeman County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Hodgeman County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Hodgeman County is home to Center Township and Jetmore. Next door, Ford County has 327 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 615 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Hodgeman County
Hodgeman County is home to Center Township and Jetmore.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Hodgeman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,741 | 1,619 | ▼ 7.0% | 102nd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 593 | 615 | ▲ 3.7% | 30th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,341 | $43,712 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Hodgeman County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 1,619 people live here, down 7.0% since 2020.
Who powers Hodgeman County
Utilities with service territory in Hodgeman County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,243 | 11.86¢ | 26% |
| City of Jetmore | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lane-Scott Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetmore | City of Jetmore -(KS) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2015 |
The Hodgeman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 615 | $43,712 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Hodgeman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hodgeman County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Hodgeman County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hodgeman County, Ford County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgeman County | 1,619 | ▲ 3.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Edwards County | 2,640 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Finney County | 37,505 | ▲ 5.1% | 635 MW | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 33,993 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,480 MW | 327 MW | — | — |
| Gray County | 5,652 | ▼ 1.5% | 508 MW | — | — | — |
| Ness County | 2,617 | ▼ 4.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Pawnee County | 5,991 | ▼ 5.2% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Hodgeman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hodgeman County, Kansas?
4 utilities have service territory in Hodgeman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, City of Jetmore, Lane-Scott Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hodgeman County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Jetmore (2 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Hodgeman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hodgeman County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ford County.
Is Hodgeman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 615 jobs in 2025 against 593 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hodgeman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hodgeman County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.